


New York City: The Second Thing That Never Happened to Duncan Kane

by NeoVenus22



Category: Law & Order: SVU, Veronica Mars (TV)
Genre: 5 Things, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-27
Updated: 2009-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-05 08:03:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeoVenus22/pseuds/NeoVenus22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five things that never happened to Duncan Kane.  AU.  The second thing, where Duncan is taken into questioning by the sex crimes unit for the death of his sister.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New York City: The Second Thing That Never Happened to Duncan Kane

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers: 1x21, 'A Trip to the Dentist'

Duncan kept his head down. It wasn't that he was bothered by the flickering overhead light or the drab gray walls; he just didn't want to look up and meet either of their gazes.

The last thing Duncan remembered was driving back to the Kane estate from soccer practice. It had been a hot day to begin with. But he'd been running around for several hours, and was pouring sweat that made his green uniform stick to him where it was wedged between his skin and the driver's seat. His air-conditioner was on the fritz, but he couldn't decide if he wanted to tell his father or not. Jake Kane wasn't above spending copious amounts of money for what he believed to be necessities. But he believed strongly in getting what he paid for, and he'd paid enough for Duncan's car. Duncan didn't want some poor part-time mechanic or car salesman to be on the receiving end of an undeserved screaming fit. Duncan had a sneaking suspicion that the malfunction had something to do with Lilly. Lots of malfunctions in Duncan's life had Lilly as their source.

Of course, the one he was thinking of the most was the whole your-girlfriend-is-your-sister issue, which at least he could blame on his parents. Jake for committing the infidelity, and Celeste for telling Duncan about it.

Pulling into the driveway. Going into the house. His parents weren't home yet. Going into the kitchen, dropping his schoolbooks off on the table.

This was the last thing Duncan remembered.

He'd woken up in the back of a limo, dressed in black, sandwiched between his parents.

Lilly was dead. They were going home from her funeral.

"Duncan," said the woman in dulcet tones. "You have to tell us what happened."

Detective Benson. Not as old as his mother, with bright eyes and windswept hair. She'd smiled at him when they'd first met, and it was one that had put him at ease, despite the circumstances. Good cop.

"I don't know," said Duncan.

"Sure you do," said the man, a little more crisply.

Detective Stabler. Maybe as old as his father, with a receding hairline and a cold gaze. He'd seen a lot of shit as a cop, and it showed in every wrinkle in his face. He didn't think much of Duncan, and had made that apparent within the first few minutes. Bad cop.

"C'mon, Duncan," said Stabler suddenly, flipping a chair around and straddling it. He crossed his arms over the back of it, leaning forward with an attentive smile on his face, now Duncan's buddy. "You came home from soccer practice, you and Lilly were the only ones there..."

Duncan didn't remember the Sheriff's department coming by, Sheriff Mars and Deputy Lamb. He didn't remember being questioned. He did remember being arrested, the day after the funeral, by Benson and Stabler. They were members of the sex crimes unit, investigating Lilly's case. It didn't surprise Duncan that Lilly's death involved something sexual. If he knew his sister at all, she wouldn't have gone out any other way. Duncan couldn't help thinking that if the positions were switched, and it was her sitting here, Lilly would've hit on Detective Stabler. Detective Benson, too.

He wanted to help the detectives, he really did. He wanted to help Veronica's dad, too, even though he couldn't bring himself to look at Veronica at all. He wanted to know how and why his sister had died. He couldn't figure out, however, why no one was treating him like the grieving brother that he was, and instead was treating him like a suspect.

"I don't know," Duncan repeated. "I don't remember."

Stabler's amiable smile tightened for a few seconds, then was gone. He stood up, turning away from Duncan the way that Celeste Kane turned away from Lilly. Duncan found himself turning to Benson with pleading eyes. He didn't _remember_. They were detectives, they _must_ have known about his condition.

"What's the last thing you remember?" tried Benson.

"Going home."

"Was Lilly there?"

"Her car was in the driveway."

"Did you see her at all?"

"No. I went into the kitchen; that's the last thing I remember."

"Did you black out, Duncan?" said Benson.

So they _did_ know. Then why did the conversation keep going in circles?

"I guess I must have. Have you talked to my parents?"

The detectives glanced at each other. "Yes," said Benson.

Stabler faced him again. "Your parents found you with your sister's body, Duncan. You were covered in her blood."

Duncan blanched.

"Was your sister involved with anyone?" said Benson.

"No," said Duncan, shaking his head. "Logan Echolls is her boyfriend, when she feels like having one, but they were off again. He was down in Mexico with Dick and Beaver." The detectives exchanged looks. "Casablancas," he confirmed quickly. "Dick and Cassidy Casablancas. Um, yeah, she wasn't... wasn't with anyone. Not officially," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Unofficially, then?" said Benson, cocking an eyebrow.

Duncan shrugged. "I don't know. The secret is half the fun for Lilly. It could have been no one. It could have been anyone."

Stabler sat down again. "Tell us about Veronica."

"Veronica?" Duncan already felt the wave of shame that came over him every time he heard her name. "She wasn't there." She was at the pep squad car wash. They'd been broken up, but he still knew her schedule so well. He hoped to God that they didn't think Veronica had done it.

"She's your girlfriend, isn't she, Duncan?"

"Yes. No," he recovered hastily.

"No?"

"I... _we_ broke up. A little while ago." They were both staring at him, and Duncan felt like he was sitting there naked.

"Was Veronica upset?" asked Benson.

Duncan blushed. It killed him that he was hurting Veronica like this. "Yes."

"And how did Lilly feel about all of this?"

_She's our sister, Lil. Dad and Mrs. Mars... she's Dad's kid._

Veronica's our sister? How cool is that! It... oh. _Oh my_ God, _Donut. Here I was, thinking that I was the worst kid in the family. Turns out you're macking it with your own sister!_

Lilly, you can't tell Veronica. You can't! Okay? You know how much she loves her parents. This would kill her. I don't want to hurt her.

Don't worry, Donut. As it so happens, I'm extraordinarily good at keeping secrets...

"She took my side," said Duncan, barely believing it. Then again, Lilly always loved the dark side of things. He half-believed that the only reason she was friends with Veronica was to slowly corrupt her. If Duncan was the bad guy in this situation, Lilly would automatically be drawn to him, and Veronica would get cast to the side.

"Would Veronica take it personally? Her best friend siding with her ex-boyfriend?" asked Benson.

"Would she get angry?" asked Stabler.

Duncan looked up sharply. "No!" he said. "Veronica is the sweetest, nicest girl you've ever met. She wouldn't ever hurt Lilly!"

Benson smiled gently. "Sounds like you still love her."

Duncan didn't know how to answer that.

Stabler frowned. "If you still love her, why would you break up with her?"

They must know. They'd already talked to his mother. She must have told them. He couldn't lie. They _knew_. "She's my sister."

The detectives looked at each other. Yep, they already knew. Stabler leaned forward, severely invading Duncan's personal space. "Duncan, what happened the night Lilly died?"

"I told you, I don't remember."

"Did you kill Lilly?"

The idea had occurred to him. There was too long of a black period, and he knew he got out-of-control angry when he had his episodes. He'd hurt his father. But he wouldn't ever hurt Lilly.

Would he?

"I don't know. No."

"C'mon, Duncan. Think about it. Your sister was promiscuous, she was out with some guy you didn't even know... you got upset. Maybe you even got a little jealous."

"Jealous?" croaked Duncan.

"Well, yeah, you were already dating one sister. Maybe you wanted to be with the other one."

"No," he said, his voice painfully soft, "it wasn't like that."

"So you find out that Lilly was out with _yet another_ guy, you couldn't control yourself, you hit her." Stabler had a way of sounding remarkably casual while sounding incredibly on edge. The whole effect left Duncan feeling weak.

"No," he said. "No, I didn't... I didn't touch Lilly, I didn't want to."

They didn't believe him. They didn't _believe_ him. He loved Lilly. He protected her against their parents, he worried about her every time she didn't come home, he warned her about the dangers of everything he did. She was the older sibling, but she was still his sister, and he should protect her. He loved her like a sister, nothing more, and he would never, ever hurt her. Even during an episode.

Would he?

If he loved Veronica... _like that_... and she was his sister...

But he didn't know.

He loved her first, then found out, and you couldn't just turn something like that off.

All of those happy, sweet memories...

Kisses that got longer and longer as their relationship wore on.

Bathing suits that got skimpier and skimpier as Lilly's influence became sharper.

Late nights in the dark of his room, with the warmth of his hand and the images of blond hair and a pink smile...

All of those shining smiles that Veronica flashed him, filled with love and worship. If she only knew. How could Jake do that to Celeste? How could Duncan do that to Veronica? Now she probably hated him. The sad and confused glances that she cast him in the hallway. He could feel her eyes on him no matter where he went, begging to know why he just left her without a word.

_How could you, Duncan?_

"No, I'm sorry," he said softly, answering Veronica's pleading voice in his ear. "I didn't mean to. I didn't know. I didn't mean to, I swear, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay, Duncan," a woman told him. A hand was warm on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he repeated. It wasn't his fault.

Veronica's hands were always so warm.

So were Lilly's, the times she liked to freak him out by sneaking up on him in the pool house, pretending that she was shorter, shyer, a different girl.

Lilly's hands were cold, her forehead was red...

Blackness.

"I'm sorry."

Cold hands were on his wrists now, thin fingers of ice wrapping around them, securing them behind his back. He could hear voices in the background, telling him things, things that he knew were important, but all he could hear was static, the white emptiness of Lilly trying to reach him, and being unable to.

Duncan kept his head down.


End file.
